Laminar

Icaro's topless design, the Laminar, has a remarkable history in international competition. This is no surprise when you consider their design pedigree, with input from world champions Manfred Ruhmer, Christian Ciech and Alex Ploner, who all fly Laminar wings.

Introduction

From when the LAMINAR first appeared in 1994, it has undergone many changes.
Today, all modifications are tested by three world champions:
Manfred Ruhmer and Christian Ciech, in charge of research and development of Icaro 2000's hang gliders, and by Alex Ploner, current world champion.

This is the tenth version of the LAMINAR. It incorporates a year of tests and competition success.
It has won nearly all the competitions in which it has been used, culminating in the first and second places obtained at the 2011 hang gliding world championships.

The higher aspect ratio, obtained by means of a different distribution of the chord along the span, has made it possible to increase wing loading. This means better handling, better performance, and above all, greater flying pleasure.

A pilot of 100 kg hook-in weight can now fly the 14.1 model instead of the 14.8, without being penalized by an excessive sink rate. In addition, the new chord distribution along the span has increased the proportion of sail area at the extremities. This has further improved both lateral and longitudinal stability.

News

The LAMINAR has many new features.
Amongst these, the new aerofoil profile is particularly important.
It improves efficiency when climbing in thermals, and during intermediate glides. It therefore offers the pilot benefits in all flight situations. It enhances pilot confidence, and ensures safety in turbulence.

The new layout of the carbon fibre used for the 2012 battens yields excellent finish and reduces fragility of these components. This improves reliability.

The sprogs and tips (also in carbon fibre) have a new conformation. They are larger, stronger and more rigid. They improve the smoothness of the upper and lower sail surfaces, by means of new terminal parts in Ergal, machined from solid metal.

Icaro 2000 is committed to on going research in the quest for optimal quality and performance, and for this reason, the LAMINAR is now available with a new sail in Technora.
This is lighter (up to 600 g lighter than an LSP sail) and offers better stretch characteristics. It gives the LAMINAR an even better handling, along with unparalleled performance during glides.
Experience in aerobatic competition flying has led to new centre-section reinforcement, specially designed for use with Technora sails.

This has made the glider more responsive, and improves the wing's efficiency in manoeuvres such as pulling out sharply from a high-speed dive.

The new wingtip reinforcements were designed to further improve the durability of our sails in laminate, while also giving a fresh and more aggressive look to our competition gliders.

The sail of the Laminar will be fitted with 6 small removable battens, with a total weight of under 15 grams. They eliminate the flutter that sometimes occurs at the trailing edge at speeds over 100 km/h.
The new top-range options include the Laminar with carbon-fibre wing tubes.
They are about 10% more rigid than aluminium tubes, while offering a weight saving of over 1,25 kg.

For pilots concerned with even the smallest details, those for whom competition results are an important objective and who are looking for something exclusive, we have created a new crossbar, lighter and stronger, with an innovative shape.
It will bring your Laminar to an even greater height of perfection, reducing the total weight of the glider up to 800 grams.

And now, even the smallest Icaro model, the 12.6, has a new frame as a standard feature, one with a higher rigidity than previous versions. This optimizes performance and turn coordination.

The Sail

A number of important modifications have been made to the sail:
The leading edge is no longer interrupted at the nose by the presence of pockets for the Mylar stiffeners, and this ensures optimum, uniform leading edge tension distribution.

The new design of the upper sail surface totally eliminates even the slightest degree of fabric deformation at all VG settings during flight.

The design of the leading edge and the front part of the double surface has been modified to optimize profile shape and tension distribution.
The wingtip tubes have been increased in length and rigidity, in order to improve sail tension at the trailing edge.

The leading edge sail cut has been modified in order to optimize the section profile.
Likewise the design of the canvas below the leading edge has also been modified, again to improve sail tension in the forward part of the wing.

The chord ratio between the central and wingtip sections has been modified, and this has made it possible to increase the aspect ratio. This has produced notable benefits in terms of handling, performance, stability, and flying pleasure for the pilot.

Wing reinforcement has been redesigned in order to reduce weight.
The 14.1 and 14.8 models have one extra batten to further reduce profile deformation at high speeds. The wingspan/battens ratio is now equivalent to that of the smaller models.

The batten pockets on the under-surface have been redesigned to prevent the battens from sliding out when the hang glider is exposed to a strong tail wind while waiting at the launch site.

The keel pocket now has an additional segment that hides the VG pulleys. This segment improves the appearance of the rear part of the wing, and reduces the aerodynamic drag of this detail component.

Sail design and sail colours

The wing’s under-surface has a total of 18 colour schemes, ensuring that the hang glider is spectacular and unmistakable in appearance.

Standard model (square)

The standard model is supplied with our special sail made in a Dacron material named “Square”.
This sail provides the best guarantee of durability over time.

It has excellent rip stop characteristics as a result of the reinforcement fibre arranged in the form of small squares.

It is the ideal choice for pilots who are concerned primarily with the sail's operational life.

On request we can make nearly all special undersurface designs, see the picture on the right.

Tecnora (optional)

This is the latest development in the area of competition hang gliders.
It was used by Alex Ploner in the competitions that enabled him to become the 2011 World Champion.
It reduces the total weight of the hang glider up to 600 g, and provides better aspect ratio characteristics.
It will give your hang glider a World Champion temperament.

The Frame

The tubes used for Icaro 2000 hang gliders are made in Ergal 7075, the alloy utilized in the aerospace industry. They are manufactured by drawing, which guarantees the best possible performance in terms of weight, rigidity and reliability.

Crossbar Junction

Icaro2000 is the only hang glider manufacturer in the world to manufacture, for all its topless models, a central crossbar junction block in Ergal 7075, made by the digitally-controlled machining of a solid block. This process yields a strong, light component, in which stress is uniformly distributed throughout the structure of the unit. The cost of this technological process, when compared to the customary system used by our competitors (two aluminium plates screwed to the central slider) is much more expensive. However, it ensures a higher degree of strength and reliability.

Crossbar/leading edge junction

Just as for the central crossbar junction, the crossbar/leading edge junction, another important component, is made in Ergal 7075, and again, by machining a solid block. As mentioned above, this system, as well as being more visually attractive, offers a better strength/weight ratio. The unit manufactured using this system is highly compact, and this has made it possible to optimize the wing profile at all VG configurations.

Sprogs

The carbon sprog of the centre section of each half-wing has been slightly compensated in order to provide variable washout at different VG configurations. It is larger in the 2012 version. In addition, it makes the wing surface cleaner,by means of a part machined from a piece of solid Ergal at the tip of the sprog, with optimum geometrical design.

Compensated Twist Tips

The new carbon fibre tips are thicker and have a part in Ergal at their extremity, like the sprogs. They are made using the exclusive Icaro 2000 “Twist Tips” system, which ensures that the outer tips (which provide support for the two outermost battens) can move in mutually opposite directions, even when the sail is in direct contact with them. This situation occurs in Variable Geometry configurations from ½ to full on. At these VG settings, wings of the previous generation did not permit any sail movement, and this caused a reduction in handling qualities. In addition, stability is not affected, because the tips’ compensatory function – another exclusive Icaro2000 feature – operates equally effectively in these configurations.

Outer leading edge section

The configuration of the outer leading edge section has been changed. In order to improve coordination of the hang glider’s flight behaviour, the axis of the outer leading edge section runs parallel to that of the internal leading edge section, and it is no longer swept forwards. The preloaded effect that was previously attained by means of the latter design is now achieved by means of a different sail cut.

Variable geometry

In wings with laminate sail, the VG range has been increased. This further improves performance when VG is fully tight. In addition, towards the rear of the keel pocket there is a small sheath that avoids any contact between the sail and the VG cord.

Batten ends

The “snap lock” system is efficient, practical and more aerodynamic, and it also permits the precise regulation of sail tension.

Optional competition features

The following optional components are available for pilots looking for even better performance characteristics:

Aluminium competition A-frame (optional)

The aluminium competition downtubes have a profile that includes a turbulator, which guarantees a low aerodynamic drag coefficient, and ensures the best possible performance/price ratio. As they are slightly longer than standard downtubes, they also give the glider better handling and stability. This A-frame is available with the MR carbon fibre bar, or with the new Aluminium Comp Speedbar.

All-carbon fibre competition A-frame (optional)

Downtubes in carbon fibre, with variable profile chord up to 88 mm, and ergonomic grips. Low weight, very low aerodynamic drag coefficient, and unique design: these factors make this A-frame a distinctive feature of a top glider. Available with the MR carbon fibre bar, or with the new Aluminium Comp Speedbar

Aluminium competition speedbar (optional)

With its attractive visual appearance and an optimized aerodynamic profile, this feature combines excellent performance with the strength of components machined from a solid block of Ergal.

MR carbon speedbar (optional)

Aerodynamics, ergonomics, lightness. In your hands.

Circular-section carbon crossbar (optional)

With new design and new fibre layout, this is lighter and stronger than the standard spar, providing an overall weight reduction up to 800 grams.

Carbon leading edge (optional)

Carbon wings are designed to provide an increasingly optimized combination of handling characteristics and performance. They offer 1.25 kg of weight reductions and an approximately 10% increase in rigidity. The fusion of handling and performance.

Carbon battens (optional)

Carbon battens have a far higher rigidity when compared to aluminium battens. This means that the resulting airfoil offers a considerable increase both in pitch stability and in high speed performance. The benefits of carbon fibre battens become immediately obvious from the greater stability that they provide. The reflex aerofoil profile is in fact improved by the greater rigidity of this type of batten, and this has an important effect on wing stability. As a result, the degree of washout introduced by sprogs and tips can be reduced. For example, when using aluminium battens, with VG fully tightened and sprogs and tips adjusted to the furthest possible degree, bar pressure is close to zero at about 90 km/h. Flying the same hang glider in the same configuration, except with the new carbon fibre battens, bar pressure will be positive at all speeds; more specifically, it will be light, but still positive, even at 120 km/h. Our carbon battens are 12 and 10 mm in diameter. The benefits that we have experienced using carbon battens are so exceptional that their adoption is more than justified, notwithstanding their high price. You will feel the difference.

Carbon fibre stiffeners (optional)

These carbon fibre components are inserted into a Mylar pocket in the central part of the leading edge. They are 1.25 m long and 20 cm wide. This component prevents changes in aerofoil profile at high speeds, optimizing performance at speeds over 80 km/h.

Tech Data Sheet

Size

12.6

13.1

13.7

14.1

14.8

Area

m2

12.52

13.24

13.88

14.16

14.82

Nose angle

Deg.

132

132

132

134

134

Wingspan

ml

9.61

10.05

10.05

10.54

10.54

Aspect Ratio

7.38

7.63

7.28

7.85

7.50

Double Surface

%

96

96

94

96

94

Battens upper+lower sail+2 fixed nose battens

nr

22+4

24+6

24+6

26+6

26+6

Weight without glider bag

kg

28.5

30.5

31

32.5

33

Pilot Hook-In Weight (min / max)

kg

55/75

70/85

80/90

90/100

100/110

Suggested Pilot Hook-In Weight

kg

70

83

88

97

105

Packing Bag Length

ml

4.75

4.98

4.98

5.20

5.20

Short Packed Length

ml

3.35

3.90

3.90

4.10

4.10

Certification DHV

3

3

3

3

3

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